Toretto (District)
The District of Toretto is in the West-Central part of the Republic of Awesome and is divided into two enclaves, East Toretto and West Toretto and are notable for their succinct cultural differences. As of February 2nd 2014, a petition shall be set forth to include the Lyneham High School year 10 courtyard as a official part of Toretto. This is because the current leader of Toretto, HorseDreams, is one of the few citizens of the RoA that has full legal access to this courtyard. Also it is a cool place to hang out with friends or have a rowdy discussion bout the bogans that also go to the school at which this courtyard is located at. This petition has Torettan's full support and if the petition gains sufficient support, the Year 10 courtyard will become the enclave of South Toretto and he proposes that it'll be governed by all the year 10 Awesomenites who frequent that place. The people of this district are well known for their love of birds, with them featuring in many national icons, artworks, works of literature and food. It is nicknamed the "Avian District" due to the large amounts of birds, both domesticated and wild that inhabit this district. Notable residents include the RoA's Chief Engineer Torettan and the equine and literature enthusiast HorseDreams who both alternate control of the district on an annual basis. Horse Dreams is the current leader of our district, her term starting on the 22nd November 2013. She will be succeeded by Torettan on the 22nd November 2014. Points of interest includes the Bogan Proof Fence, Drop Bear Forest, the Hipster Enclosure and the Mad Scientist Research and Development Centre. Its inhabitants are generally referred to as Torettans. The district of Toretto is currently lobbying for semi autonomous status within the Republic of Awesome. This request was granted by the current president of the RoA ObsydianDreamer on the 11th September 2013. The district now has full control on all fiscal and economic affairs and has transformed itself into a special economic zone. As of 2013, the District of Toretto is the powerhouse of the RoA economy, providing over 95% of the fledgeling micronation's GDP. Etymology The origins of the name Toretto are unknown, but possibly it is the corruption of the Japanese To(ri)reto, which means "the isles of the birds." Official District Anthem We dance, we dance, we dance, Around the Mexican hat! We dance, we dance, we dance, Around the Mexican hat! Official District Funeral March Starts with the the opening cords of Chopin's famous Funeral March: Bb--Bb-Bb-Db-C-C-Bb-Bb--Bb out into guitars I'm comin' up so you better get this party started! I'm comin' up so you better get this party started! into I am Stayin Alive by the Bee Gees Official District Work Song Look down, Look down, Don't look 'em in the eye, Look down, Look down, You're here until you die, Look down, Look down, You'll always be a slave, Look down, Look down, You're standing in you grave. Official District Wedding March A Reprise of the Imperial March (associated with Darth Vader) from Star Wars '' Geography Both parts of Toretto are enclaves wholly surrounded by Australia, with their location due west from the capital, Awesome New Prussia (District) The two enclaves are of equal size and are named East and West Toretto for obvious reasons. West Toretto is located two kilometres west of East Toretto. East Toretto is notable for their meadows, wild untamed bushland on its western and southern quadrants. The entire enclave is surrounded by a two metre fence of Poison Ivy, a plant notorious for its skin and eye irritating properties and forms a notorious defense barrier against unwanted invaders that has proven itself again and again. There is a large mixture of species, both native and foreign to the Australasian continent that inhabits the East Toretto bio-region. Climate Both parts of Toretto experience a Koppen Hot Humid Continental Climate (Dfa). Toretto is well known for its hot summers, cold winters and moderate springs and autumns. Rainfall falls evenly throughout the year. Wildlife A wide variety of birds inhabit this district including Cockatoos, Cockatiels, Rosellas, Lorikeets, Fairy Wrens, Willy Wagtails, Magpies and Currawongs, hence its nickname: the Avian District. However, feral cats from Australia are the most unwelcome of visitors that threaten the existence of our most valued fauna. A cat proof fence is in the process of legislation, with the Security Bill SB 7020 "Bogan Proof Fence" under consideration. Also a note to foreigners: beware of the drop bears. Drop Bear Forest For all those visiting this district, beware. Drop bears are notoriously vicious creatures who kill unsuspecting tourists on sight. The drop bear density of this district is abnormally high, with roughly two hundred drop bears per square kilometre. No real measurements can be made on the outskirts of the district where 99% of drop bears lived. Every researcher who visited there had never came back. Bogan Proof Fence Using the Rabbit Proof Fence in Western Australia as inspiration, a glass wall has been built around the district as the final word in bogan defence. Since bogans* do not posses the brainpower to see glass, they walk right into it repeatedly until they knock themselves out where they picked up by the local municipal authorities and disposed of in Queanbeyan. This proposition is immensely popular amongst the local population, passing the District House of Representatives with over two thirds of the vote and 75% for 25% against in a public referendum held on the 19th December 2012 with four people voting. The Bill will be put under consideration by the District Senate in early Autumn 2013. If the bill is successful, the district will be bogan proof by 2016. However, the construction of the fence have been put on hold as the District's judges argue whether it is constitutional to exclude other Homo Sapiens and if it interferes with Australian Common Law, a law that the district obeys in conjunction with the laws of the Republic it is currently a member of. Also, the judges argue if the fence's construction is to go ahead, it should be made out of bullet proof glass as morbidly obese bogans repeatedly walking into normal crown glass has been shown to break in tests in the Mad Scientist Research and Development Centre. Since the costs of bullet proof glass is very high, the construction of the fence is put on hold until the district can raise funds to build the fence, which would likely be in 2014, a financial year after which several businesses would be opened providing much needed revenue to the recession stricken government. However, after a ruling at the district the fence was given the go-ahead by the High Judge, who was under the impression bogans were a different species. Construction of the fence will commence soon. *Also called rednecks, yokels, chavs or the great unwashed. The Hipster Enclosure In West Toretto, there is a small charity bin filled with donated vintage clothes surrounded by a small picket fence. However, one must be approach this location quietly as one can observe hipsters in their natural habitat. They come there in their twos and threes to rummage for new non conformist clothes to impress other members of their cultural tribe.It is not known if these people really are hipsters or they are just very poor uni students. Dog Kennel Where we sacrifice our homework to appease the Gods. History Tired of Australia's stiflingly conservative social values*, both parts of Toretto seceded from Australia on the 23rd of November 2012. They acceded to the Republic of Awesome the following day on the 24th November 2012. *A diplomatic cover up. The main reason why they seceded from Australia was that they didn't want their tax money to be given out by politicians to bogans. And they also didn't want to be in the same country as them. Demographics Guys, this is the only ''serious part of the article. If you want more proudly ridiculous facts about the district, please scroll down to the Economy section of the article. They are of, of present, an estimated 9 citizens in Torretto as of the 2012 census. Of these, and estimated 56% are Caucasian, 34% Mixed Race and 10% Asian, forming a diverse cultural and ethnic mix. Of these, 22% ( 2 individuals) have Republic of Awesome Citzenship. The de facto national language is English, spoken by 100% of inhabitants. 56% of Torettos are bilingual, with Japanese and French speakers make up 45% and 11% of the population respectively. The district is proudly 0% bogan. Religion Due to privacy laws, the religion of the population cannot be ascertained. However, most residents of this overwhelmingly secular district are believed to be either irreligious or unaffiliated to any major religion. However, to abate the current drop bear incursion, the drop bears are asking for human sacrifices. A small cult was formed until the government, with sub woofer machine guns, blasted half the drop bear population into oblivion. As of January 2013, no human sacrifice requests have been made by the Drop Bears. Politics The governing Libertarian Party has gained half the seats of the seats in the state legistlature against the Opposition Social Democrat Party, which has two fifths, with an idependent making up the remainder of the six seat parliament. Note: These policies are all propositions, as not enough people had joined the RoA to make such programs viable. These shall all be implemented in ten years time once the districts' economy has grown enough to provide such levels of care. This is a socieconomic manifesto that all citizens of our district believe is best. These policies are all a well balanced combination of social generousity, environmental conservation and economic sensibility. Social Issues The people of this district are strongly liberal on social issues, where gay marriage is legal and pay discrimination due to race, gender and sexuality illegal to the highest degree. Discrimination of any kind due to trivial reasons such as race, gender, religion and sexuality is frowned upon by most citizens. Workplace discrimination is illegal and is prosecutable in court. The people of this district believe that the possession of small amounts of harmful drugs should only be prosecutable by a small fine rather than a jail sentence. Gay adoption is legal and like all adoptions only is so if the parents can provide a stable, loving environment for their child. You can marry any human being you like here, because we do not believe that marriage is just between a man and a woman, it is between love and love. Economic Regulation In economic terms, the people of Toretto believe that big business, the elite and big government wield too much power in our present societies. To combat this, all public officials and campaigns are banned form receiving donations greater than $2,500 from individuals and $5,000 from trusts, unions and corporations. Taxes on corporate profits, like income taxes, are progressive to prevent larger corporations form squashing their rivals and making uncompetitive monopolies. Stringent regulations have been imposed on financial institutions to reign their wild gambles and excesses in, with small taxes on large stock, bond and derivative trades (1%) put into place to stabilise the stock markets and move it away form its current form of casino capitalism and also provide valuable government revenue that the district spends on infrastructure and education to increase future economic growth whilst reducing the probability of stock market crashes. The tax code is simple and straightforward with no loopholes except for the charitable deduction, for obvious reasons. The government provides unemployment benefits to those out of work, but only if they apply for thirty different positions every week and that they pay it back after they join their workforce with interest being at the inflation rate so that the government doesn't go bankrupt. Also, if the government bails out a bank or corporate institution, the traders, managers and corporate executives would be fined for their imprudence, the institution will be put under joint government and creditor administration until all the debt is paid off. Furthermore, the CEO and other high ranking positions would see their positions replaced as they are fired for their bad management of the company, providing a motive not to engage in outrageously risky behaviour. this would reduce the frequency and average amount of money spent on bailouts. Maximising Social Mobility Economic policies of this district are designed to maximise social mobility, with free and well funded education provides the better outcomes to all children from all socio-economic backgrounds, with an emphasis on nurturing talent and entrepeneurism. Universal healthcare is provided to all citizens of this district, which is funded by a 4% tax as the well-being of the workforce is put into the highest regard by the government as a healthy workforce is a productive and happy one. Also, healthcare costs tend to be one of the most common causes of middle class bankruptcy and poverty and by eliminating this, a family's wealth can conserved during times of illness. Infrastructure spending is a high priority as it is a prerequisite for future growth, but only when necessary as the government believes that building bridges to nowhere as a waste of their tax payers money. The district's low defence spending stems from the belief of the pacifist movement, as most Torettans are anti-war and believe that diplomacy is the answer to any international problems. Pensions All citizens can opt for the government pension program, which is where they contribute 10% of their income into a government pension fund that is withdrawn in retirement so that pension spending doesn't blow the government budget sky after the baby boomers retire a scenario that hasn't played well in Europe see the Euro-zone Sovereign Debt Crisis on Wikipedia. The government investment fund, the Toretto Retirement Fund (TRF), unlike most hedge funds and investment firms, invests with a long term perspective on gains in dividends, bond interest and market rallies due to long term market trends, rather than speculating their clients money on ridiculous stock market bubbles. Balanced Budget Amendment The District's Constitution includes a Balanced Budget Amendment, where every new government spending program must be funded via tax increases or corresponding spending cuts in other departments as many Torettans do not want to go the same way as Greece. Similarly, tax cuts must be funded cuts in spendings form selected government departments. The government should aim for a small structural surplus (The average surpluses and deficits accumulated over the business cycle) so that it can save for times of natural and economic disaster so that it can be able to provide vital aid to its citizens. In parliament, the ministers are bound not to vote in partisan lines, but vote with their conscious. Economic Governance The reason why the entire global financial system is so unstable is due to the interference of the government and central banks so that they can stoke economic bubbles to reduce unemployment and increase property prices so that they can win the next election. In Toretto, the central bank sees with a eighty year perspective (the average human life) rather than stare fixatedly at a quarterly statement like most in western economies. The bank would be given power to pop bubbles before they inflate rapidly so that instead of long prolonged recessions (such as the European Great Recession of 2007-present) their would be small, sharp and quick recessions. Also the bank is charged by making sure that the aggregate debt levels of the economy do not exceed 200% GDP, a percentage shown that if countries go past it, become very unstable and prone to small shocks. Who knew a small housing bubble in the US could bring the whole world to its knees. Also, a very small tax on hideously high amounts of debts levied on corporations, households and yes, even the government would convince people to reduce the amount of highly destabilising debt (The Great Recession was cause by the bursting of private debt once it increased to 400% of GDP, and the Great Depression 250%.). This would make Toretto's economy extremely robust to economic crises, something that is incredibly desirable. Medicare In Toretto, we believe in universal healthcare for all as we are of the belief that all human beings are of equal standing, and therefore equal treatment. Healthcare is funded by a mixture of poll and income taxes levied by the government as a healthy workforce is a productive workforce. However, healthcare related costs have been bankrupting nation after nation as the population ages. How to solve this problem without destroying Medicare? A cross examination al look into Medicare reveals that nearly all the rise of the expenditure comes from people using more than $50,000 a year in health costs, so the district government is proposing to cap government healthcare spending per person to this number to prevent this from happening. If one's illness forces one to go above this threshold, they can borrow from the government with the interest rate pegged with the inflation rate so their burden doesn't go greater. Either this or raise income taxes by 15% for full unlimited healthcare for the terminally ill. This may sound nice but the vast majority of these patients (98%) die within five years of medical treatment. Also, the inflation linked bond is cancelled if the patient dies within ten years of its initiation, and if they survive, if the payments are too high, they can be cut. Shared Parental Leave Scheme Being a working parent can be hard, and the district government recognises this. The people here believe that people should not be forced into making a choice about having a child or a career. So naturally the government businesses have colobarated in a Shared Parental Leave Scheme. Pregnancy and childbirth are two processes are naturally straining on the human body, and females are entitled to have paid leave one week before and three months after childbirth so that their body can recover. The male can have the day of childbirth and the after so that they can give their partner vital psychological support. Both of these periods off are paid by the government at 100% of their daily income to prevent pay discrimination. After the three months after childbirth is up, the parents share their days off with the baby, with each partner going to work with one on every odd day and the other on every second day to prevent pay discrimination. After the year is up, the child can be provided for at a local childcare centre paid by the government, where working parents can drop their child before and pick them up after their workday is finished. When one parent doesn't have employment, a baby bonus of $10,000 is given to help raise the child and also to prevent bloating the government's budget. Population Policy The district aims for a fertility rate slightly above replacement, 2.2 children per woman as the replacement rate of 2.1 does not take into account mortality from natural disaster, pandemics and famines. The reason why is that form case studies form countries with shrinking populations from low fertility (Greece, Japan, Italy and Russia) are all in varying positions of economic and in some cases social collapse as a shrinking consumer base dooms the economy into either sluggish growth (Italy) or perpetual recession (Japan) or even depression (Greece) or even extreme health crises (Russia, Ukraine and South Africa). This is most definitely not desirable, but rapid population growth strains the planet's resources, so we believe that a replacement level fertility rate is most desirable and should be achieved by making society more accommodative to working parents. To fill in gaps in the workforce that education cannot provide, skills selected immigration should be used to fix vital gaps in the economy. However this may not be needed as the TFR has recently reached 2.0 children per woman, within the 1.8-2.6 target. Social Safety Trampoline In times of hardship, the district government has decided to replace the much beloved social safety net with a social safety trampoline. When one is unemployed, one can opt to increase their social mobility and employability by deciding to enrol in courses where much needed skills are taught so that they can go into better jobs. Internships are also offered. All of this paid for by the district government, but to reduce government spending to acceptable levels, the cost is deducted from unemployment benefits with the remainder given to the unemployed person. Small payments would still be given to pay for food and water. The Right to Breathe Clean Air and Renewable Energy Policies In Toretto, we believe that every single individual has the right to clean air and water. To those who pollute our atmosphere and waterways fines are implemented against the people responsible, until pollution levels are well below UN health guidelines. These fines are used to balance the budget and also to pay for recycling and renewable energy facilities. A pollution tax has been legalised. The least polluting energies such as solar and wind are therefore the ones that are the most economical in such an environment, reducing emissions and global warming without the government spending a single penny, and that means no new taxes to be levied on our citizens. Environmental Policies The TEPA (The Torettan Environmental Protection Agency) has been founded to protect the environment by having the power to shut down businesses and prosecute individuals and even the Torettan government for seriously harming or damaging the local environment. And unlike most environmental agencies, this one has teeth. Torettan Consumer Protection Agency In charge of prosecuting business that deliberately mislead or exploit the public and consumers as the people need a voice to stand up against deep pocketed big business. The agency is fiercely independent and cannot be funded by corporate donations or run by members of such, preserving its independence and taking decisive action whenever it is needed. Mining Taxation Many miners are small companies who deliberately use the cheapest and most polluted methods to mine a selected ore deposit for maximum profit before declaring bankruptcy to avoid clean-up costs which are then put on already burdened tax payers. To prevent this, the TEPA would provide the estimated clean up costs counting for the expenses and methods of resource extraction as well as location, and another government agency the Torettan Mining Agency (TMA) would provide an estimate on the net worth of the mine based on current economic trends. The clean up cost would then be divided by the amount of mineral ore, meaning that the company has to pay a certain amount of money for every tonne of earth mined, thus alleviating this problem meaning that taxpayers would never have to pick up the bill Currency Manipulation Tax A tariff on imports would be implemented if the country that it is from manipulates its currency to get favourable exchange rates. The tariff would restore the product to its market price, before doubling the tariff to make it uncompetitive product that no one wants to pay extra for. Those things from China are going to cost a hell lot more. This tariff is beautiful because it allows the government to lower income taxes and close the deficit at the same time. And that is all of our policies for the moment. If anyone has more or better ideas to add to my district's policies, please post on my talk page. If there is anything you like or object to please tell me, as the wisdom of the crowd can always improve a few people's ideas -Torettan. Economy The Economy of Toretto is based strongly on Agriculture and R & D. The Gross District Product has not been measured yet due to the newly independent nature of this district, but economic data will be available in mid August 2014 after the 2013-14 fiscal year is complete. Most inhabitants work outside Toretto, providing large amounts of revenue in terms of income to the district. There is no economic data of present as all estimates are preliminary, but Toretto has recently plunged into a steep recession as the agricultural sector of the economy was devastated by the death of a chicken, significantly reducing egg exports. But with an official GDP of $40, driven mainly by district government spending, Toretto is the wealthiest district of the Republic of Awesome and contributes over 95% of the RoA's estimated GDP of $42. Wow. This is actually kind of sad. Peeps in other districts should totally fundraise. As of the 11th September, the District of Toretto is now a special economic zone that is in full control over all of its economic affairs. However, Toretto harmonises with the RoA in all social and diplomatic policies. The Australian Dollar and the RoA Dollar are both accepted as legal tender. Agriculture Toretto is well known for its food. Western Toretto specialises in chicken raising and their subsequent products. Eggs and chicken meat makes up a significant proportion of exports, even though chicken phobia runs rife in this region. East Toretto specialises in horticulture and flora-culture. Large quantities of potatoes, sunflowers, tomatoes, rocket, lettuce and various other fresh vegetables are grown. Grapes, cherries, apricots, peaches and pears provide significant export revenue. Unfortunately the district is suffering from a huge glut of herbs such as rosemary, coriander and garlic chives*. There is a large brewing industry brewing beers and wine, used to appease and drunken the drop bears to render them as less of a threat. *Note: the District holds no responsibility over food poisonings due to its questionable food safety policies and practices. Research and Development Toretto is well known for its population of military engineers/strategists and their assistants who use their expertise to design new gadgets to defend the Republic of Awesome. There are many projects under development, including RC quadcopters designed to wreak havoc by dropping rotten eggs on anyone who dares to question the district's independence. Project Orpheus has now hailed as "the final solution" for bogan-proofing the district. However, not all research goes well. During the Pullitzer incident, scientists accidentally exposed koalas to toxic waste and nucleus radiation, forcing them to mutate into Drop Bears. Terrified of this, the researchers dumped them into the bush, where they have multiplied and wreaked havoc on an unimaginable scale on American Tourists. Recent District estimates have concluded that there is roughly fifty drop bears reintroduced to form a formidable barrier against those wishing to invade this peaceful district. These koalas have been exposed to radiation again, making them super vicious. For all those invading armies, look above your head. The cute koala clinging onto the branch above you might be your very last sight. Services A sushi and cocktail bar was due to open in the February of 2014, providing the district with valuable tourist revenue. However, due to the deterioration of economic conditions beggining in the August Quarter of 2013, the date has been pushed back a full year from the original date to February 2015. Fiscal Situation The district is now close to bankruptcy due to heavy live TV betting, see the culture section below. Transportation Both parts of Toretto are accessible through the ACT road system. However, the roads around East Toretto are of somewhat questionable quality. Within the district see the Transport System of the Republic of Awesome. However, Torettans would like to dismiss the myth that we ride kangaroos as they are way too bumpy. And besides, all the cool kids ride the emus, mate! Culture Toretto is a proudly multicultural district, with strong Australian cultural influences. Due to its unilateral secession from Australia in 2012, it is (technically) Libertarian. People in this district are very liberal when it comes to social issues, with Gay Marriage being in the process of legalisation, but conservative in fiscal and economic outlook.They follow Republic of Awesome Laws in conjunction with Australian Common Law. There is an ongoing "I'm Boganist and I'm proud of it!" social movement that is gaining traction in this district. Food Owing to its name, birds feature prominently on the menus of this country. Its national food is teriyaki sushi, its drink chocolate frappé and the national dishes are Duck l'Orange, Charnwood Roast Chicken and Turkey served with Cranberry Jelly and Horseradish Sauce served traditionally on Explosion Appreciation Day, and Duck l'Orange on Accession Day (23rd November) whilst Charnwood Roast Chicken being served on Independence Day. See Republic of Awesome Holidays However, there is a notable taboo against eating eggs amongst some inhabitants in West Toretto. This may be due to a belief that eggs are the children of the sacred birds. Yet they have no problem eating their mummies. Notable Customs Every year at Halloween, J-Horror Night begins. The vast majority of the population gets traumatised annually. One district resident who watched the freaky tape off The Ring managed to survive by positioning his television set on the top of the Empire State Building when his seven days was up. It was unknown if the psychotic little girl who crawled out of the TV survived. If she did, she must have a Grudge against him. Media The inhabitants of Toretto subscribe to an annual event on television called the Hunger Games, streamed live from the nation of Panem and are huge fans, with many betting heavily on the tributes. Unfortunately, the district is in near bankruptcy after all of its citizens put their money on Foxface. Also, when Foxface died, the district was full of cries for their favourite couple Katniss and Peeta, referred to as PeeNiss, the only socially acceptable couple name there is in this district. To reclaim all their lost money, the people are deciding to bet on Wiress, the female from District Three in the Third Quarter Quell and on President Snow on winning the Panem Civil War. Category:Districts Category:Republic Of Awesome